Somali pirates release man after five years of captivity

An Iranian hostage has been set free by Somali pirates after being held in captivity for five years.

A humanitarian group that specialises in negotiating the release of hostages, and supportin g the familes of people taking hostage, announced the breakthrough on Saturday.&nbsp;&nbsp;.

Mohamed Sharif Panahandeh, an Iranian who was captued 5 years ago by Somali pirates was being held near the port town of Hobyo, in the Mudug region of Somalia by pirates.

MOGADISHU, Somalia - An Iranian hostage has been set free by Somali pirates after being held in captivity for five years.

A humanitarian group that specialises in negotiating the release of hostages, and supportin g the familes of people taking hostage, announced the breakthrough on Saturday.

Mohamed Sharif Panahandeh, an Iranian who was captued 5 years ago by Somali pirates was being held near the port town of Hobyo, in the Mudug region of Somalia by pirates.

"We are happy to announce we have obtained the release of one of the last hostages of Somali Piracy. M Shariff from Iran was released after over 5 years in captivity," Hostage Support Partnership tweeted on Saturday. "3 more seafarers remain who need our help," the post said.

Somali pirates have amassed billions of dollars in ransoms after abducting hundreds of people in the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel and Somali Sea, in Somalian territorial waters and other areas.